A celebration of earthy ingredients & real food

no sugar

This recipe is a remix of the nutmeg ladu fudge which came onto the blog a couple weeks ago. I lovedd that fudge – I was so so impressed by the flavor, consistency – and the nutritional value. Chickpea fudge is definitely something which you can eat as ‘fuel’ not just as a treat.

I decided to try out a chocolate version of the nutmeg fudge. And it is absolutely the bomb!
Oh and by the way…

Can I have a round of applause please? It is not often the one can create a sweet good which is as nutritious as this one – and pass all of those testers. : P With flying colors too I might add.

Ok, let’s talk a little bit about this yummy chickpea fudge is so delicious, and then we can get to the recipe.

SO What’s in this Chickpea Fudge?

The main components of this chickpea fudge are of course chickpeas, coconut oil, dates and ground pecan nuts. All of these are things which one can and should eat on a semi regular basis.

Health Benefits of Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a wonderful pulse to sneak into sweet goods because their flavor works well with sweeter things, and they are excellent at aiding the body to regulate blood sugar levels. So no sugar spikes when chickpeas are in the mix!

Chickpeas contain high amounts of fibre which means that they aid digestion, and also increase levels of satiety. Meaning you will be fuller for longer after eating a food containing chickpeas. Making sure that your snacks have a high satiety score can lead to better weight management, as you will feel fuller for longer on less. Great formula for shedding a couple pounds!

Chickpeas are also a great source of plant based protein. If you are vegetarian or vegan, then chickpeas can be a valuable component of your diet.

Besides containing high levels of fibre and protein, chickpeas are also rich in manganese, folate, copper, phosphorus, iron, magnesium and zinc. They also slightly lower concentrations of thiamin, vitamin B6, selenium, calcium, vitamin K and riboflavin.

Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has been making headlines over the last few years for a its health benefits. But I was shocked to read on Dr Axe, that there are over 1 500 published studies ‘proving coconut oil to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet’. I went and checked this, because you can’t believe everything you read. However there are literally 1 775 published studies on NCBI alone. Needless to say, I did not have time to check through each study – but I do not think science would invest so much time and money investigating a food which did not have some seriously significant elements.

Coconut Oil is Not Readily Stored by the Body as Fat –
It is converted to energy straight away

It appears that one of the top reasons why coconut oil is so good for our bodies lies in the type of fat that it is made up of. coconut oil is made up of over 90 percent short chain healthy saturated fat. This fat can be broken down by the body in 3 steps. Unlike other plant derived fats which are broken down in 26 stages!

What this means ultimately is that the fat in coconut oil can be taken up by the body and converted to energy immediately. Short chain fats are processed in the liver, which means pretty much a one way street to energy production. There is much less chance of coconut oil being stored in fat cells within the body, because it can so easily be converted to energy. Whereas other plant based fats can take so long to convert that they can end up being stored along the way.

Coconut Oil is a Brain Food

Another interesting facet to these rare short chain healthy fats is that they are literally brain food, and help with the production of serotonin!

Coconut Oil is an Immune Booster

Coconut oil is also antimicrobial and antifungal. This is great for balancing the gut flora and keeping things like Candida overgrowths at bay. Because 80% of the immune system is made up of the gut bacteria, this will boost your immune system as well.

Health Benefits of Dates

Dates are full of fibre, which makes them nature’s perfect sweet for us. This is because while dates have a high sugar content, the fibre which they contain ensures that the release of this sugar into our systems is very slow. Which makes dates a very low GI sweetener!

Dates are also rich in the following vitamins and mineral:

Iron

Potassium

B vitamins

Vitamin A

Vitamin K

Copper

Magnesium

Manganese

Health Benefits of Pecan Nuts

I think we all know by now that nuts are super healthy – but I was shocked to find out that pecan nuts contain more than 19 different vitamins and minerals, and Shape even wrote an article with the title ‘Pop and Pecan not a Pill – Can Pecans Replace Your Multivitamin’.

Pecans are also a source of more healthy fats, some fibre and protein.

How to Make this Chickpea Fudge

Before I leave you with the recipe – I just wanted to say don’t let all this reading about nutritional powerhouse ingredients make you think the recipe is all difficult and complicated.

Instructions

If you have not done so already, melt the coconut oil at a low heat until it is in liquid form.

Then combine all ingredients in a food processor, or use a stick blender, and process until smooth. If you have an electric coffee grinder, you can do the pecan nuts in this to get them really fine, and then add them to the food processor with the other ingredients.

Once processed fully, spoon into a small baking pan and flatten down with a spoon.

Place pan in the freezer and allow to stiffen.

Cut into squares, place in an airtight container to store. Keep in the freezer between eating.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chickpea Fudge was last modified: November 18th, 2017 by Daniela Klein

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Chocolate Chickpea Fudge was last modified: November 18th, 2017 by Daniela Klein

I love making cookies and cakes that are so high in nutrients that they can be eaten for breakfast. Like this gluten free poppyseed cake…. and this no sugar nutmeg ladu / fudge. And these no flour brownies!

These apple oatie cookies are made of oat flour, whole oats, ground flax seeds, grated apples, dates, coconut oil and some natural apple syrup. If you do not have access to this amazing apple syrup (my mom gets it from a neighbor who in turn gets it from a secret source), then you can also use honey or maple syrup instead.

These cookies are great for an on the go snack to have in your bag – as they are full of nutrition. Also, they do not require any overly processed gluten free flours, just ground up gluten free oats. I grind my oats in a small electric coffee grinder. It turns my oats into perfect oat flour! I also use the coffee grinder to grind up flax seeds for flax seed flour. (If you are on the hunt for non processed gluten free baked goods – also check out this recipe, it is for savory flax seed cakes. Which can also be used as thin ‘burger buns’!)

As opposed to the gluten free poppy seed cake – these cookies come together really quickly and do not require lots of beating / egg whisking. They do not contain raising agents, which also means that you can easily slip them into the oven with other things, without any risks of spoiling the rise by changes in temperatures, moving around of the baking sheet etc.

Before we go to the recipe, I just want to explain why these cookies can be gluten free, and not require any complicated or processed gluten free flours.

How to Make Gluten Free Oaties

Most gluten free baked goods need something like xanthan gum or psyllium husk to act as a binding agent and to prevent them from falling apart. Oat flour is a nice gluten free flour to bake with, as oats does have a little of its own innate ‘stickiness’.

The other thing that holds these cookies together is the ground flaxseeds. Do not leave these out, as without them the cookies will probably fall apart. The ground flax seeds are also full of fibre, vitamins and minerals – so not only do they bind the cookies together, they also make them more nutrient dense. Perfect for a breakfast cookie!

I am so happy to be able to share this recipe with you. I am truly proud of it. : D

So let’s talk. About the fudge.

It has no sugar, contains all healthy nutritious ingredients, is gluten free and could be vegan if you want it to be.

Also, you do not have to heat any fats and sugars together. All you gotta do is blend all ingredients place your “fudge” in the fridge.

Now bewares all you fudge fanatics out there – this is not actual fudge. It’s more similar to a stiff cookie dough or Ladu. Personally I think it is better than fudge – but if you are a fudge fanatic and yearning for some traditional fudge, then don’t make this. Make fudge. And then try this and tell me what you think. : ) Or pass the recipe along to a health head.

Having said that, my Dad and I ended up at the ‘fudge’ tub together one morning – and he said that one has to ration your self with ‘this stuff’. So, I think it’s safe to say that it passed the Dad test. : D

What’s So Healthy About This ‘Fudge’

The reason why this fudge is healthy and contains no refined sugar is because it is made with chickpeas, coconut oil, dates, vanilla essence and honey. Oh and ground pecan nuts.

What I really like about this fudge – besides that fact that it is super more-ish – is that I can eat a square as a pick me up when feeling low on energy or my blood sugar has dropped. And I am not eating empty calories, because all of the ingredients are nutritious and good for me. : )

How to Make Ladu / Fudge

All you need to do is combine all ingredients in a food processor and combine very well. Spread the mix into a small baking pan and slide into the freezer.

So simple.

By the way, apologies for publishing all my recipes together on a friday today.

The week got a bit jumbled up somehow, what with taking someone to court and my other work. And it didn’t help that in the midst of it I became fascinated with lobs. I could not concentrate until I had googled it and cut my hair. And accidentally dyed it purple in the process. I like it! I mean I like the lob, and I like the purple. I found out that I have a ‘cool’ skin tone, and that cool skin tones should not have yellowish hair. Which was going on with me. So after cutting my lob, I then decided to do a shampoo with some gentian violet to take out any yellow bits. Left it in too long and got some purple tones – which I also really like! Yay!

Have any of you gotten the ‘lob’ recently? If so did you like it? Let’s talk lobs : ).

Sorry, please note the person writing this has not cut, styled or paid their hair any attention in over a year. Hence the slightly silly excitement over a hair cut.

Instructions

If you have not done so already, melt the coconut oil at a low heat until it is in liquid form.

Then combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. If you have an electric coffee grinder, you can do the pecan nuts in this to get them really fine, and then add them to the food processor with the other ingredients.

Once processed fully, spoon into a small baking pan and flatten down with a spoon.

Place pan in the freezer and allow to stiffen.

Cut into squares and place in an airtight container store back in the freezer.

Enjoy!

No Sugar Nutmeg Ladu Fudge was last modified: November 18th, 2017 by Daniela Klein

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No Sugar Nutmeg Ladu Fudge was last modified: November 18th, 2017 by Daniela Klein

If You Have a Coffee Grinder

If you have a coffee grinder, you can use my little trick to make them extra flavorful and ‘melt in your mouthy’.

Of the required amount of pecan nuts, I take approximately 1/2 a cup and whizz them up in the coffee grinder. I add this in at the same time as adding the chopped nuts. This infuses the cookies with even more pecan deliciousness.

If you do not have a coffee grinder – you can simply leave this step out. They will still be good.

My ‘Baked Gift’ Recipe

These cookies are my number one for when I want to bake something as a gift. They look cute, taste decadent and perfect, are almost impossible to flop – and are healthier than the average cookie. ; )

I took a little batch of these the other day to my great godmother. She is now 92! And doing pretty well considering. But she does have down days where she feels like shit. And lots of things are hard for her, she can’t go for walks any more or read books.

She always says that we must not travel all the way just to see her – so we lie and say we had other things to do in the area. She was never able to have children, which makes me feel like my parents and I are her children even though we have not always lived close to her.

Lately I have been listening to Jessica Murnane’s One Part podcast, and one of the recent episodes is with Jody Day on childlessness. It’s crazy interesting because, this is the first time in known history that women have been able to use convenient and guaranteed contraception. And the spin off effect of this is that there are a lot of women who accidentally never had kids! And this is causing a lot of pain throughout the world. Like a mass global pain of women who are missing the kids they got to have.

It immediately reminded me of my great godmother. She never ever complains about not being able to have kids. But it must have been a huge thing in her life. And it just makes me realise once again how ‘hardcore’ the old generation is. Instead she always tells us funny stories about her past, and asks relevant questions about what we are up to.

I guess where I am going with this is – visit the old people! So if there is someone out there who you have been meaning to visit, MAKE THESE Cookies, and go see them. And if you want some accountability – instagram me(@rebelskitchenpics) a pic and it will make my day.